Mourning And Acceptance
by TheRoseThatKnowsPain
Summary: Two years are not enough to heal Luffy's broken heart, shattered mind or worn soul from his big brother Ace's death in his arms. The grief is heavy but his crew will never let him down or drown in it. One-shots/drabbles; How each member of the Straw Hat Pirates help their captain mourn and grieve. Nakamaship and somewhat-sad fluff.
1. Brook & Luffy

**Remembrances In Notes Of Gratitude**

* * *

_The sea is rather calm here, ne?_

Staring out at the darkness of the sea, monsters and underwater fish swimming about, Brook hummed under his breath the song of Bink's Sake in a slow, sad tune to match the gloominess emitted by the atmosphere of this constant underwater nightmare.

_But it isn't affecting our atmosphere_, he thought gleefully. _We are happy to see each other, over the waves or deep under them—it makes no difference to us._

Although nobody knew if it was nighttime or daytime, everybody had decided to go to bed, though nobody actually slept; Chopper's enthusiastic squeals and Usopp's exited shouts, along with Franky's humorous robot imitations, Sanji and Zoro's bickering and the underlying baritone of the girls' talking from their room filled his heart (although he had no heart—SKULL JOKE!) with something he hadn't felt in two years.

_I'm home_.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been up there, in the crow's nest, before his captain arrived. Brook was about to give a cheerful hello, but stopped when he saw the nostalgia in his captain's eyes and chose to remain silent, waiting for his leader to speak.

Luffy plopped down beside him near-silent, looking up at the shadows of the underwater darkness around them, and something in Brook's chest—something he was sure he didn't have anymore—broke because his captain's eyes are glassy with memories and pain, and Brook doesn't know what to do. Should he get Zoro? Zoro seemed like the person who usually dealt with Luffy when he faltered, being the first mate and all.

Brook felt slightly powerless, and he felt ashamed, because Luffy was his captain and he wanted to help him, but he didn't know how; a small part of his brain (he didn't find it in him to make a skull joke about it) tried to rationalize, because it's been two years and Brook hadn't bee in the crew for too long anyway, but the rest of his just screamed that he was the _worst_ scum on earth.

"Brook," Luffy whispered quietly, and his captain sounded to Brook's ears like a young child asking for something, but when he looked, all he saw was Luffy looking _so old_, so broken and empty. Brooks felt like crying. "Play me a song."

Brook looked at his captain, his childish, immature, happy, radiant captain, who looked so pained and delirious with memories, and understood.

(_Because Brook knew the pain of losing people right before your eyes, so close that you could have held them but that still __**slipped away into darkness**__ no matter what you did. His captain knew it now too, but unlike Brook he only had two years full of training to accept the pain and grief and guilt instead of fifty in silence. Brook understood._)

The answer was just as quiet and Brook positioned his violin on his bony shoulder. "Yes, Captain."

(_Because Brook understood. It was not self-inflicted pain or self-punishment; it was quiet, nostalgic remembrance to an older brother that had given his life for his younger brother, and if Luffy needed that to slip back into the role of a captain and be his usual self, then Brook would do it._)

The song he plays is sad and melancholic, but it had something of sunshine, respect and something like gratitude beneath the low, slow notes of the strings, because if the man who Luffy called an older brother was anything like his captain, then Brook knew that he has been a cheerful person; and the man deserved this tribute, this remembrance, his gratitude for saving the boy he would do anything(_everything_) for.

Brook fingers never shook even when he heard the sharp intakes of breaths.

(_Luffy deserved this tribute, this moment of remembering, this lament, this gratitude._)

Because as Luffy's musician, subordinate and, more importantly, friend, he would play and play no matter how long it took until his captain was whole again.

And if it took a nostalgic song and a moment to cry, then Brook would give that.

Because Brook understood.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Okay, I know I shouldn't be writing this. Technically, I should be writing my next one-shot for D. Brothers, but this idea just popped in my head and I _had _to do it. It is sweet and cute and I feel as if it is fitting.

I have no idea where I am going this point onwards, but I'm determined to do at least one chapter with Luffy and one person of the crew, because it's cute and appropriate. Two years is not enough time to grieve about a brother you loved so much. I would be devastated if that would happen to my older brother, and the scene of Ace's death strung something in my chest so painfully that this and my one-shots of Luffy's and Ace's childhood is my way of showing it.

Suggestions are always welcome.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	2. Robin & Luffy

**Five Hugs Of Company**

* * *

"Luffy," Robin called out, walking towards the head of the Thousand Sunny with silent steps. "It is late. We should go inside."

"Hm," Luffy acknowledged, but he did not turn around to face Robin, nor did he say anything else. He sat there, silent.

Robin walked forwards, climbing onto the railing with the help of her Devil Fruit powers. She stood beside her captain, looking out at the vastness of the ocean.

The seas were calm that night and everything was dipped into darkness, almost as if someone had dunked a painting of the sea into a bucket of black ink. The stars were especially bright that day, or maybe it was just Robin thinking that.

"You know," her captain suddenly said, startling her, his tone amused and somewhat nostalgic. "Ace and I used to watch the stars together until we fell asleep."

Robin looked at her captain, still seeing his eyes despite the lack of light, and something in her breaks at the sight.

Trails of salty liquid were flowing down his face and onto his pants, staining the material with dark dots.

Robin had seen countries fall and had seen people die in front of her without so much as a blink, but the sight of her jovial, vibrant captain in so much pain...

For the first time since Enies Lobby, Robin felt like crying.

And so, she did the only thing she could do. She crossed her arms, and muttered 'Diez Fleur' under her breath.

In an instant, ten arms sprouted from around Luffy, five on each side. The hands gently encircled her confused captain in a secure hold, two of them ruffling his hair and wiping the tears off his face.

"I may not be Ace-san," Robin said gently, sitting down besides her captain and leaning her head on his left shoulder. "But I am here, Sencho-san. We're all here."

It is not much; a hug and silent company that didn't even remotely compare to what Ace was. But the smile Luffy gave her in return made her feel appreciated.

It wasn't much, but if her captain needed comfort then she would give it even if she didn't know how to.

"Thank you, Robin."

She smiled to herself, making her arms clutch Luffy slightly harder before loosening them again. She refuses to accept his thanks.

He had, after all, given her the whole world back.

This was the least she could do.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Yay, Robin! I think Robin would be the kind of person you'd like around when you need the sort of silent, understanding silence; sort of like Zoro. But the differenc eis thatg Robin would probably give _amazing _hugs with her Hana Hana No Mi powers.

I tried to make her a bit more maternal here, because she seems to sort of be the 'mother' of the crew. Dunno if that came out right.

Anyway, hope enjoyed and thanks for reading! Please review!


	3. Sunny & Luffy

**Soothing Rocking Throughout The Nightmares**

* * *

Sunny was happy.

Riding on the waves and hearing the laughter of the beloved crew she so loved, she felt complete. Sunny didn't mind Zoro's blade marks or Sanji's indentations after one of their scuffles, she didn't mind Usopp's experiments or Chopper's horns that sometimes stuck in her floorboards.

Sunny never did, because Franky's familiar hands would patch her up and the small, whispered apologies and pats on her walls and masts were all Sunny needed to make her feel happy.

"Sorry Sunny,"

But Sunny never wanted to hear her captain so broken. Sunny got sad.

Sunny noticed how they were all broken and repaired in some way, coming back because of their captain. She heard the nightmares and the silent tears, the uncertainty. But there was _love, _and they tried so hard to fit together their healed edges; they just had to learn how to.

But Luffy—her captain who would apologize to Sunny when one of the crew members forgot, her captain who considered Sunny to be as much a member of his crew as Franky or Zoro, her captain who always sat on her figurehead and watch the sea with her, always guarding his crew—was broken to a point where it just never healed, and Sunny knew that.

"I'm probably making you sad, aren't I?"

_No_, she wanted to say, but the fact was that yes, it made Sunny sad to see him like this. But it wasn't because tears affected her (_except for the tears the crew she sailed faithfully through the seas_) or that she didn't expect it (_she heard the nightmares, the callings to a brother long gone and dead, breaking her heart_); more, it was because Luffy, their brilliant captain who was the center of their universe and radiant as the sun (_more radiant than Sunny, and Sunny thought that the name would fit him better_), was hurting and would hurt for a very long time.

Sunny may be a ship and not living, but she was a crew member; as such, she had a responsibility just like all the others to watch out for her captain.

And if the waves were swaying the boat in such a manner that it seemed like a mother rocking her child that night well, then, Sunny knew the answer.

Sunny may only be a ship but she can at least do that much.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Because I only watched scattered episodes and only know the general outline of the story, I never really knew the impact that the Merry and Sunny have on people. I read a few fanfics concerning Sunny and/or Merry, and read through some of the reviews. A lot of people commented on how they cried when Merry was burnt down.

Originally, I wanted this chapter to be of Zoro, but Sunny demanded to be written and I couldn't say no. I think this chapter is a lot better than the last two, although I don't know why. Maybe because I know more about Sunny and Merry (which is not much) than about Robin and Brook (which is even less).

Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!

Please review!


	4. Zoro & Luffy

**Comfort In Silence**

* * *

Zoro had always been a light sleeper.

But after two years full of enemies surrounding him and constantly having to watch his own back (_alone_) without anyone but himself (_without anyone to protect, without __anyone to watch out for_), his senses are beyond hypersensitive.

Zoro hadn't slept restfully once in the two years he spent with Mihawk. (_But, Zoro had to admit, being reunited with his crew again set his mind at ease, __although he would never say it out loud – not that anybody minded_, _because it was more of a statement that they were all happy to see each other again_).

And it seemed he hadn't been the only one.

The Luffy he had known – the one two years ago, way before all of this shit happened – was different from the Luffy now. It wasn't much that changed – he still ate like a pig, he was still completely dependent on his crew (_to which everyone was so, __**so **__relieved by_), he still smiled and he still goofed around. It was just painful to look into his eyes sometimes.

There was something lurking beneath the surface of the black eyes Zoro had known. Those eyes still sparked minds and shone like the sun, but there was a certain spark in his captain's eyes that showed a maturity and soul-rooted pain that had not been there two years ago.

Zoro didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Zoro,"

But whatever it was, he preferred it a million times over the slight waver in his captain's voice.

Because no matter how alone and desolate he had been while training with Mihawk, nothing could ever beat out of him the sense to protect Luffy. He didn't particularly know nor particularly care when he started loving his captain and his crew the way he did (_even the shitty cook, but he'll never say that out loud_), but it didn't matter because they were the Straw Hat Pirates and they didn't follow the rules.

So, when Zoro's eyes automatically shot open (_and not because he was a light sleeper_), he was prepared for the sight before him long before he actually saw it; that didn't mean that he was any less heartbroken at seeing his captain in his current state.

The dark circles under his captain's eyes were a dead giveaway of a nightmare. Zoro realized that Luffy must've slept outside, because otherwise he wouldn't have woken up so late. The color in his captain's cheeks was nonexistent and the look in his eyes tore at his heart because there was something beyond pain and guilt in there.

It was at times at this where Zoro realized, with a shiver going down his back that left his back hairs standing north*, that Luffy was the most broken out of all of them at the moment.

His voice was steady and his voice is uncharacteristically gentle. "What's wrong, Sencho?"

Luffy's broken eyes met his and Zoro's heart broke at the lost look in his eyes (_although he had toughened it up, nothing could possibly prepare it to see his captain like this_).

"Can I sleep here tonight, please?"

Zoro was by no means softie (_a lie, his minds whispered, snickering and sounding far too much like the idiot love-cook for his comfort_), but something about his captain made him comply to even the most ridiculous of things.

"Sure, Captain."

And Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro, a man said to be ruthless and a man who stood beside his captain unflinchingly, proceeded into quickly pulling his captain into the hammock.

Roronoa Zoro may be the strongest swordsman in the world one day; as a swordsman, he had a lot of pride and a lot of honor. However, Straw Hat Pirate Zoro was, more importantly, _Luffy's _swordsman and as such, he would throw away his pride and his honor no matter the circumstances if it meant helping the captain.

And even with the love-cook laughing at him the next day, he was pissed but he would never regret it or be ashamed.

Because Luffy's grateful eyes were worth everything.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

I think I made Zoro too sappy -.-

To be fair though, Zoro seems to be the kind of person to be like this. It's just that he would never show it or say it, because 1: it's embarrassing to him and 2: because he never really had a person to say it to.

I feel as if Luffy would go to Zoro if he had a nightmare, simply for the fact that Zoro would never ask or judge him about it, and I feel that Luffy would be grateful for that (not that anybody else would judge him, but it's just that they would probably ask and I think Luffy doesn't want to answer those kinds of questions after reliving his brother's death).

Anyway, Zoro x Luffy finished, yay!

* BTW, did anyone else notice that I did a joke on that one? XD

Hope you enjoyed and please review!


	5. Chopper & Luffy

**Prescribed By The Doctor(The Friend)**

* * *

Chopper was a doctor.

He didn't know every little medical detail in the world, but he knew enough to save his comrades from near-death, and that was good. It didn't mean that he did not mind that fact, because he hated it; everything he didn't know could be the death of one of his comrades and, thus, the death of him and the crew, and so his knowledge was always limited to him and _never good enough_.

And as a doctor, it was his responsibility to look after the crew's health and heal them. He healed broken bones and ripped muscle, bullet holes and stab wounds, jagged slices and high fevers—but more importantly, he kept hearts beating and lungs breathing, and Chopper knew that every single one of them was thankful for that.

But Chopper was just as much a friend as he was a doctor.

And Chopper did not need to be a doctor to see the dark, purplish rings under his captain's eyes and know what they meant, because that was something a friend knew, doctor or no; he did not need years and years of training in the medical field to see the pain in his captain's eyes—a pain that, even if he knew everything related to medicine in the whole _world_ (past, present or future), he would never find a cure for it, because there was _none_ except for the silent, unwavering support that only he and his friends could give.

However, Chopper was also _Luffy_'s doctor.

And being Luffy's—and so, future Pirate King's—doctor meant being a doctor and a friend and a _nakama _at the same time; as such, he would try his damn best to at least dull the pain.

"Luffy,"

His captain turned around, and although the smile was as bright as always—so full of sunshine and hope and fierce _love_ that Chopper wanted to cry sometimes—it seemed slightly exhausted and Chopper hated that. "What's wrong, Chopper?"

Chopper bit his lip for a moment before he took out a little bottle, rattling softy when he shook it slightly, and offered it to his captain. "Here."

Luffy's head tilted to the side, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What're they?"

Chopper's answer was steady and unhesitating when he answered his captain. "For when you can't sleep."

He didn't mention the nightmares or the sound of his captain being awake for the rest of the night; it didn't matter, because something in his captain's eyes changed and Chopper knew that Luffy could tell what he wanted to say.

Luffy took the bottle and smiled at Chopper—so full of gratitude and relief and a flash of something that made Chopper want to give him painkillers. "Thanks, Chopper."

Chopper only shakily smiled back, waiting until his captain was runnign towards the kitchen door in his usual boundless enthusiasm for food (meat) before he let out a silent, strangled sob.

It wasn't much and Chopper knew that. He may be a doctor, but he wasn't a miracle worker who could make everything better; he knew all of that, bit it didn't lessen the guilt or those feelings of incompetence and uselessness that he felt.

But if being a doctor meant that his captain could have a few dreamless nights without nightmares, then that was fine too.

Because even if it wasn't much, it was something only _Chopper _could do.

Because Chopper was a doctor.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Gee, that was hard to write -.-

Hope this came across alright, 'cause I really do love Chopper (especially after the time-skip, because he looks so cute and awwwww and cool depending on the transformation). But somehow, I feel as if Chopper would be more of a doctor when his friends are grieving, because grieving is pain and maybe Chopper has it ingrained into his being to be a doctor when someone's in pain...? Or something like that, I don't know, I just think it'd be like this.

I'm having some problems writing about the others right now (Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Franky), because to be quite honest, I know next to nothing of Franky and I have to find a way to make the others without making them too OOC.

So, what do you guys think? Any ideas?

Who should I write about next?

Hope you enjoyed and please review!


	6. Usopp & Luffy

**The Hurting Liar**

* * *

If Usopp would have to honestly describe himself, he would say that he was a coward and a liar, and probably more of a liability than actual help.

However, _because_ he was a liar, he'd never say that.

But, even if he was a liar, he would always say that he was the born storyteller.

Granted, most of the time he was lying and the stories he told were never really true, tweaked here and there to make himself look better. It wasn't the most honorable thing to do, but a liar wasn't honorable and lying was too deeply ingrained into his being for him to actually say the truth without consciously making the effort.

"You know, when Ace and I were younger, we used to fish near the rocks by the cliff. Ace was really bad at it because he fell asleep all the time, though, shishishishi!"

Usopp heard Zoro's weights fall to the floor, followed by his barely-restrained swearing (because Chopper was there). Usopp saw in the corner of his eye how Franky stopped hammering mid-swing and how Robin actually _dropped her book_, along with Sanji's cigarette falling to the floor.

Everything just seemed to _stop _on the ship, before realization seemed to settle in. And then there was panic, because nobody knew what to say to that and they had to answer _something _because if not—

"Really?! Did you ever catch anything?"

But Usopp, being the liar that he was, knew how to handle it. And although he didn't have to lie over the last two years (_lying did nothing against gigantic monsters and plants trying to eat you up_), the fake smile came easily to his face and the enthusiasm is just the right mixture of false excitement and genuine curiosity.

It was easy to ignore the baffled looks of his crew mates, and just for good measure, he pumped his fist in the air to show his interest.

The grin of his captain is jovial and bright at his answer. "Nope! Ace really sucks at fishing, because he always got too angry after a while."

Usopp did not point out that Luffy wasn't much better, that he couldn't sit still for long. Instead, he pouted falsely and sighed disappointingly. "Really? I thought Ace would have the patience for that."

"When we were small, Ace had no patience at all! You see—"

Usopp was a storyteller. It wasn't so much that he liked listening to himself, just that he enjoyed talking and make other people happy with it, even if his stories were lies. And as a lying storyteller, he usually didn't listen to other people's stories because he could invent his own.

But Usopp was also Luffy's friend and as such, he would listen even if his heart was practically breaking in two. As Luffy's friend, he would laugh and smile even if he felt like crying because he knew that there was no Ace to fish with anymore, or to hug him anymore, or to laugh with him anymore.

And so, Usopp listened because it was all he could do.

Usopp lied and lied and lied with every minute he wasn't bawling on the floor. He deceived his captain with each cheer and each grin, and perhaps he should feel bad; he felt bad, somewhere, but lying was too deeply ingrained into his being for him to stop without making conscious effort.

It was bittersweet seeing his captain's eyes lightening up some more with each story he told. Usopp wanted to cry but he didn't because, after a while, it wasn't so bad if he lied to himself that everything over the last two years was fake.

The smiles became easier and the laughs became genuine after a while.

Later, when their captain went to bed laughing and smiling, Nami pulled him to the side and looked at him with worriedly with her brown eyes. Usopp looked at her and he felt his shoulders sag, because he stopped lying to himself and all the pain and desperation and worry came back full force like a tidal wave.

Nami's eyes looked pleadingly into his own, as if to make him understand. "You're going to destroy yourself if you keep up like that."

The answer is immediate and, for once, truthful and unafraid. "I know."

Usopp was a storyteller and liar, and he was afraid of anything that could hurt him. All of it was justified but unforgivable in his eyes, and he always did try to change it.

And if his captain needed a listener instead of a storyteller, then Usopp would do that. If Luffy needed a liar to make him feel happy and alive, then yeah, Usopp would do it in less than a heartbeat. If his captain needed somebody to cheer him up even if it hurt and nearly ripped his soul apart then...

Usopp would do it.

Because above everything else, he was Luffy's friend and sniper.

Usopp may be a liability, but he could do that much, at least.

And if Usopp ate less the next few days and got worried looks from everyone—minus his captain, oblivious as ever—then Usopp would smile and say he was fine.

And it'd be the truth because as long as his captain was happy, he was.

(_There was a little self-punishment in there, for a time where he let his captain down and for a time where his captain was broken and bleeding while he'd done __**nothing**__. And if hurting himself meant redeeming himself for his sins against his captain, then that was fine, too._)

Because along with being a liar, being a friend was just as deeply ingrained into his being.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Usopp was easy but difficult at the same time, if that makes sense. It's because Franky and Usopp resemble each other a lot, in my opinion. At least, when it comes to their captain or—ugh, I'm not making any sense.

I think Usopp would be like some sort of distraction for Luffy when he was thinking, but Franky would be the same. I repeat the same concept two times with two different characters, so I had to think of something else for Usopp since I know him better than Franky.

Although Usopp doesn't like pain, I think he'd be more than willing to put himself into a painful position for Luffy, because Usopp seems the kind of character to always feel guilty for past mistakes, even if he is forgiven. As such, he will always think it's a kind of punishment for his sins.

I'm sorry if this is too OOC, please tell me if it is or isn't.

Hope you enjoyed and please review!


	7. Sanji & Luffy

**Loyalty Through Cookery**

* * *

Sanji was a cook.

Sanji knew he wasn't perfect and never will be, but he tried nonetheless and he firmly believed that the effort alone was good enough. It was a philosophy that he'd followed since after Zeff took him in, and he'd said as much countless of times. He wasn't perfect, but he could try.

But his cooking, that was another story.

That _had _to be perfect. All flavors and tastes had to compliment and contrast each other to mark out perfection. He was a cook and could not do anything below giving his best. Sanji will admit that he was not a master in every single dish, but he would sure as Hell try to.

Which was why he would cook sometimes at night, just to keep him busy and to experiment a little bit. It was also because two years in Hell shot his nerves to nothing and he woke up to most things like when somebody turned over.

"Sanji, why're you still up?"

Sanji turned around, cigarette loosely hanging from his lips, his hands still stirring the contents in the pot around. "Hm, what're you doing here, shitty captain?"

Luffy just smiled widely. "Shishishishi, nothing much, Sanji."

Sanji's eyes narrowed and he looked as Luffy sat down. Turning off the heat on the stove, he turned around. "You wanted to raid the kitchen, didn't you?"

His captain propped his arms on the table, setting his chin on top of them, his eyes half-lidded and looking at Sanji in the eye. "Maybe."

Sanji looked at his captain with a scrutinizing glare. "...You didn't come here for that."

It was a clear statement that hung in the air between them, but his captain only continued smiling. Sanji scowled and turned back to what he'd been cooking, when a soft, waving voice broke his heart.

"Could I have something to eat, Sanji?"

Sanji immediately turned around, his broken heart pumping widely and (he swears) missing a few beats. His captain sat there, his face leaning in his palm and his elbow on the table, and looking out of the window at the black sea outside in the middle of the night. Sanji saw the shadows churning in his captain's eyes and Sanji's heart broke some more.

And Sanji does not mention that they'd all just eaten a few hours ago; he just quietly answers his captain. "Right away, Sencho."

The look in his captain's eyes when he said that made Sanji want to cry.

It was a quickly cooked meal, an experiment that he'd wanted to do tonight and try out, maybe modify and change so that he could serve it later in all its perfect glory. But it wasn't perfect at the moment and Sanji hated that, but he hated wasting good food even more and he was a cook—might as well serve somebody with the food he made.

He sat the plate before his captain. "Eat up."

"Thanks, Sanji!"

Sanji looked at his captain's grin—so full of sunshine and love and trust and so much more that it made his heart swell and pump in pride and joy—and smiled behind his hand, lighting his cigarette. His captain's face disappeared behind the plate being help up high, all the food swallowed in one big bite.

Sanji sighed. And here he thought he could have a little feedback on the taste.

His eyebrow arched when he saw his captain taking a bottle out of his hand, chucking two pills out of it before throwing them into his mouth. He saw his captain grimace and stick out his tongue before shuddering, muttering about the bad taste.

Sanji frowned and pointed at the bottle in his captain's hand. "What're they for?"

He had a nagging suspicion, something he did not want to be true because this was _Luffy_ he was talking about. The boy slept like a log and could probably sleep through anything like the marimo, maybe even more so.

But Sanji remembered a newspaper he'd read, two long years ago, where he saw a boy—his captain—on the front page, mourning and hurting for the world to see; a certain wariness had been there, some kind of pain and exhaustion that hadn't been there just a few week prior that news article.

Sanji felt like crying all over again.

Because if there was one thing he hated even more than not doing a perfect dish, or wasting food, or the mistreatment of ladies, it was his own weakness.

Because as much as he was a cook, he was _Luffy's _cook.

And therefore, he was a _nakama_.

"For when I can't sleep."

Sanji's heart split in two.

"Hm? Why can't you sleep?"

Sanji regretted asking as soon as the words left his mouth because something flashed before his captain's eyes—a pain so deep and burning that it felt like a physical blow to Sanji—before his captain answered.

His captain's answer was quiet and heartbreaking. "I dream of my childhood."

He knew it could mean so many different things. So many different things that Sanji could interpret in many different ways, but somehow, he just _knew _what his captain meant; he'd been through it the last two years.

Sanji was a cook.

But Sanji was also a friend.

And as a friend, he knew that the dreams were probably so vivid and so real that he thought it was reality and that everything in the real world had just been a dream; but then he'd wake up and all those hopes would shatter and lie on the ground, and crying over them did nothing but give pain.

(_Because Sanji had dreamt in Hell; dreamt of adventures and the laughter of a captain that was mourning and hurting. Sanji had dreamt about family and fierce love and unwavering loyalty, always smiling in these dreams only to wake up to a Hell he endured for those dreams to be reality again. Sanji remembered how scared he'd been of those dreams (_memories_), because sometimes nightmares were better than dreams._

_Except that his nightmares were just as bad (_Zoro gone, Brook gone, Usopp gone, gonegonegone and all there was was helplessness and his own weakness_), but at least they kept him moving forward._

_Sanji had been afraid to fall asleep, because dreaming had meant pain._)

"Hm," Sanji said nonchalantly, ignoring his heart crying out in his chest. "Do those pills taste bad?"

His captain's grimace told him everything.

And although Sanji wanted to cry and scream and shout (because where was the fucking _justice _in this, where his captain was broken beyond complete repair? Where was that fucking _justice _that the marines' prattled on about, when his captain lost his loving brother just because his brother _existed_? _Where_, fucking _where _was it, because Sanji couldn't see it—because there were the pained eyes of his captain and the X-shaped scar on his captain's chest instead and nowhere could Sanji see the justice), he didn't and just smiled.

"If you want, I could pulverize the pills over your food so that you can't taste them."

"Really?! That'd be so awesome Sanji, thank you!"

Sanji rolled his eyes and dragged his captain out of his kitchen. "Now get your shitty ass out of my kitchen. If you sleep tomorrow at daytime like the marimo and make Nnami-san angry, I will not forgive you!"

"Shishishishi! Okay Sanji, whatever you say!" Luffy bounded off, and just before Sanji could close the door, he saw his captain turn around again. "Oh yeah, Sanji! The food was perfect as always!"

And his captain was off.

He'd have to talk tomorrow to Chopper, to know what those pills tasted like. He would have to experiment tomorrow all day to get down the tastes and flavors right so that the pills couldn't be tasted. It meant being less around Nami-swan and Robin-chwan and it meant he'd probably be tired tomorrow because of tasting dishes with sleeping pills in them but—

It was worth it.

Because everything was worth it to see that smile on his captain's face.

Sanji was a cook.

But he was, more importantly, a friend.

And if being a cook and a friend meant giving up time with the ladies, a lot of work and two years in Hell, then Sanji would do that.

Sanji may not be perfect but he could make sure that his dishes were perfect so that his captain could wake up the next morning without crushed hopes from a dream full of wishes.

Sanji rolled up his sleeves and set to work.

As Luffy's cook had to make sure that his dishes were perfect, after all

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

I'm sorry, it's midnight/one-o'clock/two-o'clock in the mornig and I just wanted to finish this off. Maybe I'll change a few things here and there later on. Maybe. We'll see. I'm just _tired_.

Exam week is over this week and so that means that over the next few days, a few new chapters should appear. Maybe. We'll see.

Sanji gave me a gigantic writer's block. I'm not even kidding, he was so fucking hard to write. I didn't want to make the same cliché Sanji-gives-Luffy-more-food-than-usual thing because it just get's boring after a while to read it over and _over _again. So this sprung to life. I had a few other ideas in my head, but this one is the first one I finished so I'll just post this.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	8. Sanji & Luffy II

**Nightly Nightmares And Silent Anguish**

* * *

"Sanji,"

The whispered plea—a sound in between desolate desperation and quiet pain—jostled Sanji awake. At first, he wasn't sure what was going on but it didn't matter anyways, because the voice was so familiar to him as Robin-chan and Nami-san's, and perhaps even just as dear to him (but he'd never, _everevereverever_ever say that aloud), and that voice was in pain.

Sanji's eyes snapped open and immediately focused on his captain. "Mn, Luffy?"

He felt his heart bleed.

Tired eyes stared back at him; empty, _resigned_ eyes and Sanji, even if he didn't admit it out loud, was scared at the sight of them. Sanji saw the slumped shoulders (_as if the whole world was on them, but they looked so frail_) and the hands gripping each other until the knuckles turned white (_as if holding onto something, and Sanji __had an idea as to__ what it was: a childhood full with laughter and an older brother that was gone never to laugh again_), and Sanji wanted to tear down Marineford because how _dare _they.

This wasn't what he wanted to see after training two years in Hell.

But, Sanji admitted, what was the worst were the tears gathered in the eyes of his captain—very much still a boy, in many ways, but still a man in so many other ways, too—and that his captain refused to shed. All the pain, all the hurt, all the grief and all of the broken pieces of his captain were all _still there _and Sanji was_ right here._

But he couldn't do anything because he did not know how exactly and Sanji _hated _himself for it.

"Chopper says I need to take my medicine with something to drink."

Sanji wanted to ask _why did you wake** me** up? You could get it yourself just fine! _He wanted to ask many things, like how his captain could wake him up and let him see how broken and battered his captain was or what exactly had happened on that battlefield. He wanted to tell his captain that it was alright to cry now, because they were all together and had each other again and _pleaseplease__**please**_ talk to us because you're still hurting Luffy.

But he didn't, because it would only make Luffy guilty and his captain would talk because of guilt, and not because he wanted to. Sanji couldn't have that; he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for that, because if the pain was still too raw, too painful and too much to bear to talk about without completely braking down, then Sanji could wait until it wasn't.

Until then, all Sanji could do was try and pick up some of the pieces—the pieces that he could.

And the others would pick up the other pieces.

(_Because even if it was rarely said, it was still an obvious fact that they loved and hated each other; but it was also a fact that none of them would ever be complete if separated. Two years apart showed that and although it was hard there was __**love **__and they couldn't be happier even with their differences and struggles._)

So, when Sanji answered, his voice was seemingly annoyed and angry, even when he was breaking inside. "So you want some hot chocolate, shitty captain?"

Luffy slowly nodded his head and with an over-dramatic sigh, Sanji heaved himself out of bed and walked towards the door, knowing that his captain was exactly behind him.

Cooking hot chocolate was easy and quickly made, but it was perhaps made with some more love than usual and perhaps it was full with a few things that never failed to make his captain sleepy (like cinnamon, although Sanji didn't quite know why, never asked).

It didn't mean that he liked watching his captain swallow three sleeping pills like an addictive, or how the light overhead made the shadows under Luffy's eyes stand out. He hated how the overhead lights made the scar stand out (_each crew member's sin, each member's guilt_) and how it made his captain look so _old _but _young _at the same time.

And when Luffy's eyes turned to him, eyelids already dropping with exhaustion and a dopey, grateful smile on his face with slightly pained eyes, Sanji wanted to get his cigarettes out and smoke one because it was getting too much.

When his captain was finished with a satisfied burp, he tilted his head and smiled widely. "Thanks Sanji! See you tomorrow!"

And before Sanji could say anything, his captain was already up and running out of his kitchen. Sanji listened to the _flop flop flop _of his captain's shoes and took out as cigarette. He lit it and took a deep breath of it.

(_He ignored the shaking fingers or how it took him three times to finally get the lighter working. He ignored the fact that he leaned against the counter for support and how he gripped the counter top—nearly cracking the marble—as if he was hanging on for dear life._)

He covered his eyes with his hand and breathed out the smoke. The image of his captain flashed before his eyes and all Sanji felt was _guiltshamepaindesperationanguishwhy__**I'msorry**_, and maybe something else, but Sanji could hear nothing above the painful beating in his heart and the imaginary laughter of his captain in his head.

He wasn't able to sleep that night.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Another Sanji chapter!

To be fair, I've written this beforehand and it would've been a shame not to post it, because it's quite alright written and all. It's a somewhat more angsty approach to the whole thing.

I think Sanji is a really emotional guy, even when he does not show it much (except for the ladies); mostly because he doesn't want to worry others, I think—something like that. Anyway, there are far too little Sanji/Luffy moments in the anime/manga and on fanfiction (most of them are pairing, and not nakamaship, or the Sanji-gives-more-food cliche setting), so I think this is serves its purpose.

I never said that there one-shots are only limited to one chapter for each member, did I?

Thank you for all the positive feedback on the last chapter (also Sanji x Luffy) and please tell me what you think of this one.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	9. Zoro & Luffy II

(_The image didn't shock him anymore—it was merely a nightmare he'd gotten used to; but no matter how many times he saw it, it always brought up the same agony and the same anguish. The same hysterical laughter would bubble up in his chest because this was _ridiculous—

"_**LUFFY**!"_

—_but the fist was still through his nii-chan's chest and when the blood was coughed up, he felt it splatter on his face. It was the same disbelief and crush of hopes and wishes and fights and the world seemed to narrow down to only that person._

_The fist was violently torn out of his nii-chan's chest and with a strangled cry—a sound between a silent sob and a sharp intake of breath—he caught his nii-chan. The sound of his nii-chan's knees hitting the floor was a dull background noise to the pumping of his own heart. And there were so many memories—_

"I promise I won't die!"

—_so many words—_

"Didn't you know? If we do this, we become brothers!"

—_so many emotions—_

"I can't leave my weak little brother alone, can I?"

—_so many __**promises—**_

"We're never going to regret _anything_!"

—_and so many dreams_—

"And when we're pirates, we're going to be freer than anyone else! We'll be free."

—_were unsaid and broken and shattered on the floor; everything just collapsed because although he hung onto every strand of hope he had, he knew it was futile because there was just too much blood and the ragged breathing in his ear told him everything._

"_I can't speak loud enough for the others to hear...so...please pass on...what I'm about to say."_

_A sob._

"A man—"

"_Even though...I am so worthless..."_

_A choked intake of breath. The tears gathered._

"—should never—"

"_Even though...I carry the blood of a demon..."_

_A deep, shuddering breath that went through burnt lungs and rattled his nii-chan's ribcage. He heard sniffles of the snot his nii-chan is trying to keep in check._

"—cry!"

"_Thank you...for loving me! Thank you...so much!"_

_(_I'm happy to be alive! I'm so glad I am alive, all because of your love. Thank you so much!_)_

_And then his nii-chan—so proud and strong and unbeatable in his eyes—smiled and fell out of his arms. He looked at his nii-chan, then at his blood-stained fingers and—_

"Please...I beg you...don't die...! Please...!"

"Yeah, nii-chan is so stong!"

"Ace, help me...!"

"That's my meat!"

"Ace I lo—"

—_then there is only pain and insanity and despair and anguishandagonyandloveandgriefandsadnessandhisteri aand—_

_His mind shut down and he only remembers screams that may or may not have been his. He cried._

_He broke._

_He felt he was never going to be whole again._

"I promise I won't die!"

_Hepromisedhepromisedhepromisedhepromisedhepromised **hepromised—**_

_Why?_

"I promise I won't die!"

"I never wanted to live—"

"_I'm so glad to be alive!_"

_Nii-chan died._

_And he broke._)

Luffy woke up with a sharp gasp—crying and crying and he pressed his hands to his mouth to keep himself from making any noises; because he was their captain and a captain was supposed to be strong and be responsible and never be weak—

"_I'm so glad to be alive!" He died._

And Luffy chocked again and the tears just _wouldn't stop _when they _should _because it was two years ago and _it was not his fault_ and he'd forgiven himself for failing and—

"_Didn't you know? With this, we'll be brothers!" But he died._

_Air. _He needed air, the sea, the winds and his ship to see. He needed to see he was free and alive and not on that battlefield where Ace–his nii-chan–he—

"_Thank you...for loving me...!" Then why was he dying when he was so grateful?_

Luffy threw the covers of himself and stumbled towards the door, reaching out for the handle in a desperate reach, because he must get _out _because he cannot hold his sobs in any longer and—

"_I promise I won't die!" But he did. He broke his promise; he broke his brother._

Suddenly there was a hand grabbing his wrist.

"_Luffy_,"

But he didn't hear and kept pressing his hand to his face because if he didn't step out now he was going to bawl all over the floor and he couldn't do that because _he was a captain, dammit all!_

"Look at me, Luffy. Listen."

And he whipped his head towards the voice—steady, calm, lulling, _gentle—_and saw Zoro; reliable Zoro, strong Zoro, _living _Zoro who would go to the ends of earth with him and Luffy looked into his First Mate's eyes and chocked on his own sorrow again.

"Zoro," something in how he said the name—somewhat like a plea or like a relief, perhaps a hope or maybe even a cry of pain—made it sound like a prayer in the way he said it like a child would say '_make it all go away_'.

Luffy gripped his First Mate's shirt until his knuckles turned white and something in his eyes—weakness, fear, anxiety, despair, pain—must have transmitted something to his swordsman because he was immediately scooped up like a child and carried outside.

He curled in on himself and breathed in the scent of his swordsman and Thousand Sunny and sea and salt and it smelt like _home_ to him. When they finally settled they are in the observation room and the smell of Zoro—stable, reliable, unmoving Zoro—was strong in the air and he sobbed.

"He _promised_," he chocked out and he gripped Zoro's shirt tighter, pressing his head into the side of his First Mate's neck when the smile of his brother flashed before his eyes. "He _promised—_and-and he was so _happy _and-it-I—"

"It's okay," Zoro's voice was so gentle—and it reminded Luffy of his nii-chan when he'd gone to him after a nightmare—and Luffy sobbed when a hand combed through his hair slowly, as if time did not matter because they had all the time in the world. "Nobody can see."

And even after two years and forgiving himself, dream haunted him because there were so many unfulfilled promises and unsaid words and unlived years that e could not help but regret and feel guilty over.

Zoro remained seated in the observation room, stoic and guarding, and kept him there and all he could do was curl around his First Mate desperately.

He wept.

He cried and sniffed and yelled and gripped until Zoro's shirt was wet and crinkled, but never once had the swordsman complained or pushed him away; rather, he kept on stroking his hair and kept on talking quietly—Luffy wondered what he'd done so well in life that he deserved this.

He didn't lift his head from Zoro's neck. "Zoro?"

"Hm?" there was no judgment and no hesitation and only pure faith and love in that one syllable and Luffy felt like crying again. "What?"

"_I promise I won't die—!"_

"—_we will always be connected by the bonds we have as brothers, no matter what we do or where we'll go—"_

"_I never really wanted to live—"_

"_I'm so happy to be alive...!"_

"_Thank you...for loving me...! Thank you so much...!"_

Luffy closed his eyes shifted some until he could look into his First Mate's eyes. He gave a watery smile. "I'm happy to be alive."

(_Because if his brother wouldn't be able to say it anymore, then he would; he'd scream it from the rooftops and laugh and smile even when it broke his heart because even if it was a broken promise, there was still the love and there was still the will and the spirit._

_But mostly, there was still the bond of being a brother._ _The memories were still there and Ace's name would be screamed to the heavens and never forgotten to the world._

_He kept moving on._)

"I'm...so happy...to...be alive, Zoro...!" he repeated sleepliy.

"Me too," the swordsman agreed.

He slept. When he woke up, he lay in the observation room while the soft clank of wights sounded to his right.

Yes. He was happy to be alive.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Luffy-centric. Watch out, I'm trying to make you cry here!

I just went though Ace's death (again) and looked at exactly what he said and decided to show how much it affected Luffy...I hope. Yeah, it's midnight here so no rant or anything (although **massive **thanks to the people having commented on the chapter before. You don't know how much your reviews make my day).

Thank you for reading and please review!


	10. Nami & Luffy

**Meanings Hidden In Treasures**

* * *

Nami looked long and hard at her captain, sitting on her sunbed on the grassy deck of Sunny. She glanced upwards for a moment, tilting her head to the side before nodding to herself in a satisfied manner. The wind was constant and the temperature didn't waver: it was going to be a steady day today.

Which was just fine for her; she had other things to worry about.

Nami glanced towards the figurehead of Sunny, her captain's back tall and proud, but the sight still broke her head. Because although nobody saw beyond the gesture (_except for them_), it was there and it spoke volumes about their uselessness and weakness and their captain's pain.

Because Nami could see that his hand was pressing onto his chest.

She could imagine the granite eyes—so full of innocence and cheerfulness overshadowed by grief and pain and agony—staring and staring into the horizon of the sea, hand gently pressing onto a scar and remembering, remembering, remembering.

(_Of a childhood full of laughter and happiness and love. Of parent figures and siblings that he loved and adored and never wanted to lose. Of childish fairy tales that always had a happy ending._

_But then, there was realization because there was no more laughter or happiness coming from the dead. There were __parent figures and siblings that—as much as he may love and adore them—had died. Fairy tales may end happily, but the real world was cruel._

_But no matter what happened there was love—Nami knew that._)

Nami kept looking at her captain for a few moments before turning on her heel, marching up the stairs to the upper deck and to her beloved tangerine trees. They had just started to ripen and the trees were full with round, orange tangerines. Nami smiled.

Picking as many as her arms could carry, she plucked them off gently and carefully took the armful that she had down to the grassy deck. She ignored Sanji and Zoro fighting somewhere (_"Stupid marimo!"—It was nearly music to her ears—"What'd you say, curly-brow?!"—because all it basically meant was 'Welcome home' to them_) and walked straight to the figurehead.

"Luffy," she called out cheerfully, ignoring the stab in her chest when she saw the tired eyes of her captain. "Look."

Her captain stared at the fruits with wide eyes before he looked up at her. "But Nami—"

"No buts," she cut in, winking at him. "You'd do the same."

"_Luffy...Help me...!"_

_She looked at a boy, so reckless and fearless and idiotic but who'd managed to immediately steal her love, present, future and hope with a few laughs and a few too many grins. She had dared to dream, dared to hope to be able to continue onwards with him because despite how ridiculous it all seemed, this boy—_

_This __**man**__, would conquer countries, save lives and go to end of the world._

_Nami would lie if she'd say that she didn't want to be part of it._

_And then there was a gentle pressure on her head—barely noticeable—and she looked at her shadow, seeing the outline of a familiar hat of a familiar person who saw this as his __**treasure**__ and glanced over her shoulder._

_But the man was already walking away and Nami could only stare in amazement at the__ power and confidence and security his back emitted._

"_OF COURSE I WILL!"_

_The conviction was in every word and—although Nami didn't know it until much later—there were the beginnings of fierce love and complete loyalty. And Nami believed him, because although he may seem like a boy he was her captain and if he said it would be done, then it would happen._

_But it was only later where Nami realized that, after the bane of her terror and captivity was smashed into the ground by a foot._

"_NAMI!" the shout was screamed to the heavens, a vow and a promise and a love that would never __**ever **__break awoke in all of them. "YOU'RE ONE OF US!"_

_And Nami believed him because he was her captain._

"Come on, captain," Nami took her captain's hand and smiled, happyhappyhappy because they were all together after two years (_proving that not even two years in desolation and loneliness and pain could even waver that love they had_). "Let's see if I can bring Sanji-kun to make ice cream out of this!"

Her captain looked at her for a moment longer, shadowed eyes watching her before smiling softly. "Yeah."

These things may be nothing more than a straw hat and some tangerines to other people (_except for seven other people in world, along with a few people whom they'd known long before they'd learned how to dream_), but they were treasures that were valued and loved and adored, far above anything—even money.

And Nami learned that—long ago—from a man who'd shown her how to dream, hope, love, laugh, smile again, taught her how to be free again. Treasures were more than jewels or gold or gems or money, she realized, when he gave her a whole world full of treasures.

(_Although all she wanted, all she needed, was a little crew sailing under a Jolly Roger with a straw hat; laughter and smiles and love were everything and more that she ever wanted and they made up her whole world, and that was the world for her._

_And that was just fine with her._)

And even if she could do nothing else but give silent support (_because there were no words for that pain_), she was there like he had been, so long ago, when he'd given her a brighter world to see.

That, she thought, was the least she could do.

And when her captain looked at her and met her eyes, she smiled and he smiled back, because there was quiet understanding in remembrance of a time of liberation.

And then there was only happinessjoylaughtersmilesfreedom_love_.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

NAMI IS FINISHED! YATTA!

Is it just me, or is Nami spoiling Luffy after the two year time-skip? You know, going where he wants to go despite her initial protests and potential dangers, answering with 'well, he's the captain.' I wondered how I could use that, but nothing really came to mind since Nami wouldn't spoil her captain with money or a sea map, or letting him be lazy. No, if anything she would spoil him with her tangerines because it's the most meaningful thing and Luffy knows that and knows the gravity of that gesture, just like Nami had so long ago.

Not quite sure if this turned out alright, but we'll see. I got several good ideas from other people about Nami, but I just felt that her tangerines came first, especially since they mean so much to her. Maybe I'll post another chapter on her later on.

I got massive feedback the last chapter, and you don't know how much that meant to me. It gave me a massive confidence boost—not to mention how much easier it was to get through the week. **To all reviewers** who'd reviewed so far in any chapter, especially those who comment on each chapter, thank you all so much for your continuous support for this, you can't believe how grateful I am.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	11. Franky & Luffy

**To Fix And Repair**

* * *

Franky was a shipwright.

He repaired and fixed machines and wood and metal and plastic because that's what a shipwright did. Franky would like to say that he could fix anything, and maybehe _would_ have said that, many years ago when he was still a boy who'd not seen the true colors of the world—before pain and despair had changed him, reformed him, evened him out and brought him down a peg or two.

But Franky was older now; he knew some things could not be fixed.

Like his captain's heart.

Franky may have never met Portgas D. Ace, but it didn't matter much to him—any person his captain called brother must've be a SUPER guy. Nobody knew the details of his captain's brother's death, but that didn't matter to him, either. What was in the past, was in the past—it didn't matter anymore.

What mattered was the fact that his captain was still hurting even after two years.

And, as good as he was at being a shipwright, Franky couldn't fix a broken heart or a guilty conscience.

And so, when he saw his captain—a man with dreams bigger than the ocean and a will as endless as the sky—stare out at the horizon, hand over his heart (over his scar), eyes moist in a way they should never (_evereverever__**ever**_) be, he felt a certain organ in his chest stop working and wanted to cry.

But instead, he took a deep breath and put on his best grin. "Luffy-bro!"

His captain's head turned to look at him, a smile on his lips as always (_honest and sincere and with all the love in the __**world**__, but still so sad and pained_). "Franky! What's up?"

Franky swallowed past the tears he wanted to shed for his captain (_because this man was worth all the tears, blood and sacrifice in the world_), his stomach twisting when he saw the shadows behind his captain's eyes, and only widened his grin. "I made a _SUPA _cool new invention this morning! Just finished it, wanna see it?"

He could have passed out in relief when his captain's smile turned into a grin, eyes lighting up like fireworks, memories and guilt and pain forgotten for a moment. "Really?! So cool! What does it do, Franky?! Shoot lasers?! Explode?!"

And this time, Franky's grin was sincere but no less full of love, chattering away about his invention while his captain hung to his every word. Although, he still felt his heart break sometimes because his captain's eyes seemed so _young _and fragile—it made him look like the child that he was inside, despite all the strength, grieving and despairing—but it only straightened his resolve to follow his captain to the end of the world with the ship _he _built.

Lunch and dinner was full of smiles and Franky shared his recent ideas of future projects with his captain, love and grins and laughter as they randomly threw a party, just because they could. Because they were free. Because they wanted to.

Franky may not be able to repair broken hearts or fix a guilty conscience, but he could give love and fierce loyalty, and hope that it would be enough.

And as a shipwright, he could keep this ship together to ensure that his captain's dreams—and all his crew mates' dreams, for that matter—came true, because although he couldn't heal his captain's heart, he could help.

And Franky was more than happy to do that.

Because that was a _SUPER _thing to do, after all.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

I am fairly confident on this one. It seems logical enough, I think.

Going on what I know about Franky, he would be the one to sympathize with Luffy guilt-wise. He knows how it is like, and he's had many more years of knowing how to deal with it—I mean, come on, he's in his mid-thirties; he's had experience with this shit.

Technically, I am finished with this story. However, because everyone seems to enjoy my writing thus far, I will consider continuing to write. Depends on what you people want.

Which brings up another point: **You guys rock so, SUPER much!** I had a lot of people say 'you made me cry!' and similar comment, one asking that I am determined to make you guys cry. The fact is, I am. As a writer, and as a person in general who is not easily moved to tears, I take that as a huge compliment and I cannot help but feel flattered by it—crybaby or not. Tears and crying mean a lot to me, because that mean I must be doing _something _right.

I thank you guys so much for that.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	12. Vivi & Luffy

**Words In Silence And Marks**

* * *

Luffy leaned against the shoulder of his napping swordsman, enjoying the taste of salt in the air and the feel of the sun on his skin. It was lazy today, and Nami said, with a smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes, that it would be a calm day today without too many changes in the weather.

He'd almost wanted to throw a party for that, but decided against it because it was just that little bit too hot for that.

He sighed contentedly, listening to his navigator and archeologist talk while sunbathing, Sanji serving them. He heard Usopp spinning a wild tale about defeating ten thousand tigers and five thousand rabid wolves at the same time while Chopper hung to the sniper's every word. Somewhere on deck, he heard Franky hammering away, humming under his breath in tune with Brook's gentle violin notes and smooth voice.

He listened to his swordsman's heartbeat, steady and constant, and all he felt was happiness and love, so glad to be alive. He laughed out a 'shishishi'and grinned.

"_I'm so happy to be alive!"_

He sighed again, melancholic this time but still smiling, and looked at the sky overhead, blue like the ocean but never quite as interesting. And that's when he saw it, a small white dot in the sky, swooping down towards them and cooing in excitement.

Luffy didn't know what made him do it, but he waved his hand a little, signaling to the bird to come down, which it did, landing neatly on the railing next to him, tilting its head expectantly.

He smiled at it and turned to his navigator. "Nami?"

She barely bared him a glance before flipping a coin towards the bird, not even faltering in answering Robin's question. The News Coo crowed in thanks, handing Luffy the newpaper before saluting and flying off again. Luffy laughed a little after it, wondering how it would taste like, but only shrugged and looked at the newspaper.

_**Festival in Alabasta: Memories of a Day Where Tyranny Was Conquered**_

His smile immediately softened, not even glancing at what the article said (_because he'd **been **there, knew it all already_) and instead looked at the photograph of Vivi and Carue and grinned happily.

She looked healthy and happy, he observed, Carue loyaly by her side. Her long, white dress with golden and purple accessories was a bittersweet reminder of a goodbye over two years ago (_a tri_, her left arm raised to put her fist on her heart, smiling while her duck mirrored it.

It took Luffy a while to see it, but when he did he broke out laughing, startling his crew members. Chopper immediately panicked and Sanji was immediately annoyed, causing Zoro to wake up and start fighting with he cook. Brook's laughter and Robin's giggles echoed across the ship, Franky sighing in half-amusement and half-exasperation. And somewhere in between, Nami cracked her knuckles and Usopp sighed in resignation.

And in the middle of the chaos, the newspaper fell to the floor unnoticed. But there, on that photo, on the wrist of the princess of Alabasta, was a small cross, jagged and edges as if it was a scar; it looked very much like his own and there was a proud look in the princesses's eyes.

Luffy continued laughing because he knew what it meant.

_We may not be there with you, but we're still present._

_We love you even if seas separate us._

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

I had an amazing feedback on the last chapter, several of them encouraging me to continue with this story. And really, with such amazing encouragement (and some yelling/whining/begging that made me laugh), I couldn't help but write this.

la Fia wanted a story with Vivi, which was a bit hard since she's actually not _there _and can't really be seen as a pirate because of her country, but I think this worked just well; it also coincided with the request of Honeydee, who wanted a story in Luffy's POV, so there.

I think I got Vivi right, although I think I got Luffy a bit OOC, and that worries me because I hate having any of my characters OOC.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	13. Everyone & Luffy

**Hearts Will Keep On Beating**

* * *

_Silence._

_Only silence—no sound, no heartbeat, no breathing._

_Neither from him or his brother._

_There is only despair and pain and anguish and agony and his own broken heart. There is blood on his hands that isn't his and he stares at his palms stupidly. Someone's heart isn't beating anymore and he isn't sure whose, because there is **no sound**. But realization of whose heart isn't beating anymore soon hits him hard in the chest, and he can't _breathe _because thisisn'thappening._

_Nononononononononononono._

_But then he looks down and he sees his brother ("Nii-chan, can we get ice cream?" black eyes, so gentle and loving underneath that tough exterior, looked at him and a mouth stretched into a soft smile full of love and happiness. "Sure, otouto.") lying there with a smile on his face full of love and peace and happiness underneath blood and dirt._

_He looks again at his palms and there is only crimson. He looks at the sky, so bright and blue and not one cloud there—the whole injustice of it all hits him, but all he does is hitch out his breath because _the pain is just too much.

_So he cries. He screams. Curses and swears to high heavens because what crimes had his brother ever **done **except living and being free?_

_He shouts out to the world__—_he asks and asks because he can't **understand**.

_The world never answers back—it only gives him more and more anguish._

_And for a moment, he wishes he would die already, because nothing seems important anymore._

_Nii-chan is dead._

_There is blood on his hands._

_Is being free really such a crime to the world?_

* * *

Usopp had only wanted to go to the bathroom, relieve himself like any other person would. He was half-dragging, half-stumbling through the door, not noticing the absence of one set of snores, and walked onto deck, yawning and stretching so far that a few things popped. He sighed contentedly and trailed his eyes lazily over the deck.

He felt his heart shatter and sink to his shoes.

Because there on the lawn deck were Luffy and Robin (who, he knew, had night watch tonight). His black-haired crew member sat next to their captain, who was curled up in a ball. Usopp swallowed a few times before he moved closer, guilt and pain and regret and so many other emotions tearing at his soul until he wanted to cry (_not for himself, never for himself, because he wasn't worthy of tears__—but his captain was, always had been and always will be simply because he was **Luffy **and his captain. __But more importantly, they were family and a nakama's pain was their pain_).

He walked over with silent steps, looking at Robin when she lifted her head from her book to acknowledge his presence.

Usopp said nothing and just looked at his captain. The man, whom he followed and loved, looked very much like a small child with his face right then. The defined face of his captain looked overly vulnerable and frail, as if he would break with the slightest push.

Usopp's sharp eyes saw the tear tracks and the red rims, the mouth that was set in a grim, sad line and the hands clutching the hat to his chest in an almost child-like desperation, knees drawn up to his chest, as if it would disappear and with it another loved one. He gently ran his finger's through inky black hair and sighed tiredly.

He felt Robin's soft blue eyes look at him, assessing him, guessing what he would do next. Usopp still didn't say anything, and lowered himself to the ground. Tucking his captain's head against his chest, he curled around his captain as if that alone could protect him from the rest of the world and any form of pain.

He heard two people plop down, one next to him and one next to his captain. Usopp glanced over his shoulder only to see Sanji sitting there next to him, while he saw Zoro sitting next to their captain. Moments later, he felt Sanji stroke his hair with gentle fingers while the swordsman started doing the same with their captain.

Usopp heard Franky as some of his metal parts creaked, and only peeked to see his crew mate sitting down next to Robin. He listened to Brook hum somewhere to his right, and Nami's mumbled protests as she lay down next to him, plopping Chopper in between his captain and himself before he felt his nakama's back press against his own.

Usopp curled further into himself and smiled when he felt a blanket fall over them.

Usopp heard the lighting of a cigarette, the silent murmurs of the people around him and the evening out of breaths around him while the hand in his hair never stopped stroking.

He wondered if this was how paradise felt like.

But it didn't matter because, paradise or not, this was home.

(_Later, a man will wake up gasping and choking and crying silently. But he will hear nine kinds of heartbeats and nine kinds of breathings, one of them his own, while his mind will reel over his dream over and over again. But there will be no silence and no blood, no loss and no pain—there will be only lovelove__**love **__for his crew and the joy of being alive._

_He will smile and clutch the nearest nakama further into his chest, smelling the salt of the sea and feeling the first rays of the sun. He will think that if this kind of feeling, this freedom, was a crime, then he was glad to be a pirate because he would never trade it for anything else in the world. Screw the marines._

_He will fall asleep with a grin on his face and his nakamas surrounding him and think that __**this**__ was worth all the pain in the world._)

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Whew, been a while since I posted something. Not to sure about this chapter since it was a kinda spur-of-the-moment thing. Yeah. Maybe I'll go back on it later.

I have to say that I was inspired by akurosa's chapter Eleutheromania of 'Next Time Won't You Sing With Me', but a bit different. mainly, it focuses on freedom but also a lot more on nakama...I think. Dunno, you guys are the judges of that.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	14. Robin & Luffy II

The library smelt of paper and candle wax.

The smell brought her back to her childhood, of days where the world had been brighter and where she'd only been another girl in the world. In between the flicking of papers and reading of words, she'd remember. Sometimes, she yearned and sometimes she wondered, how it would have been like, how it would have been. But then again—

The door opened, and a familiar face peeked into the room. The person smiled and the room brightened in a way that no candle could compare; a smile full of trust and love and loyalty and so many other things that she never thought could be directed at her. But there were certain shadows in his eyes.

She hated little, but she despised those shadows and the people who put them there.

Her captain tilted his head before laughing sheepishly. "Robin, stay awake with me on watch? Please?"

Robin smiled back, full of love and devotion and happiness; she knew, whenever she saw him, heard him, smiled at him, that there would be no other man in the world that she would follow unless it was him. "Of course, Sencho."

Her captain's smile turned into a grin—full of white teeth and gums—and she laughed, her world warm after two years of snow and ice. "Yay! Come on Robin, let's go!"

"Yes, Sencho."

And in between smiling while listening to her captain laugh and pretending to read while her captain talked, she didn't wonder and she certainly did not yearn. She was happy to be alive, happy to be free and happy (_and alwaysalways__**always **__thankful_) to follow her captain. She thought that this crew was worth much, much more than her childhood.

She thought that maybe it was cruel, thinking the way she did; thinking that if all the losses and pain of her life had lead to this, sailing under a Jolly Roger with a straw hat, that it was all worth it. That if all the lost lives and all the isolated years had amounted to this, that she'd go through it all again.

But then, when her captain laughed sleepily at her while looking at her from her lap, shadows gone and eyes brimming with hope for a adventerous future and love and drive for freedom, she couldn't bring herself to care much. Robin doubted that they knew how far she would go for them (_to the very end_), what she wouldn't do (_nothing_) or how much she loved them (_was it possible to love so much for so many people?_).

(_And then, she thought of a flag burning in the sky, of a declaration she'd screamed for the world to hear even when it was a sin, of seven people that had smiled at her, rescued her, saved her, __**love **__her;__ she thought of sunny afternoons and unending laughter, of shouting matches and fights, of millions of little things that made her __world a brighter place__._)

With a smile, she remembered that maybe they did.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

I tried writing chapters sooner, I really did, but they would've been immensely biased. And they didn't have anything to do with helping Luffy with his grief, so there.

I read a lot of SanUso lately, so I was really tempted to write something about Usopp, but it would always have hints of SanUso in there and I'm trying to keep this whole thing here as open as possible for everyone, so I had to scratch that. Then I read a lot about Ace and Luffy and then...I wrote about Robin. I don't even know anymore.

Robin seems like the kind of person who would just say 'screw it' to her past pains and all when she found the right person (AKA Luffy). I know I'm like that, and I know I'd be indulgent towards the people I love, and somehow, Robin seems like that to me. Lol, I really don't know.

Anyway, immense thanks to everybody who reviewed up until now, as always! Any ideas are welcome because I'm really running out of them.

Thank you for reading and please review!


	15. Brook & Luffy II

It was the fifteenths time that his captain squirmed in his bed. He heard the annoyed breaths and the rustling of blankets; saw the slightly pale face and the appearing circles that lingered under his captain's eyes more often than not.

Brook turned his head slightly, watching his captain squirm and bounce and roll over in his bed. It was the sixteenths time now and he heard his captain sigh before there was the rustling of blankets and the creaking of the bed springs. Sandaled feet softly padded towards the door, the creaking of floor board here and there and a gust of cold wind from the deck before the door shut, leaving everything silent and dark.

And something in his chest (even though he had no chest—SKULL JOKE!) pulled, egging him on to go outside because _he couldn't have that_ (_fifty years spent in darkness and loneliness and illusions and dreams and pain—to many memories that resembled the present only in a person that was __**right there **__and living and alive but hurting and pained while he did __**nothing**_).

The night was cold when he stepped outside, stars shining brilliantly but rather dull compared to the memory of his captain's excited eyes. His eyes roamed (although he had no eyes to roam with—SKULL JOKE!) over the ship and landed on a silent figure by the front of the ship.

His heart ached because his captain was not sitting on the figurehead of Sunny, only next to it leaning against the railing. Brook tilted his head for a moment, noting his captain's right arm pressing against the scar, the unexplained but always present sin of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Luffy-san?" Brook said tentatively, a few steps behind his captain and waiting. "Are you alright?"

His captain looked over his shoulder, a bitter but no less brightening smile on his round face. Shadows danced across the tanned cheeks and made the shadows and demons in his captain's eyes that much more obvious to him.

"Brook," his captain said, a bit too quietly for Brook's peace of mind but no less laden with love—the same kind of love his captain always showed to his nakama and an organ in his chest (_one that had long ago shriveled and rotten away, fifty or so years ago_) skipped a beat (_because he was finally __**home**_).

"Do you want to sleep, Luffy-san?" Brook blurted out suddenly because it was all he could think of saying; because, even when there was love, there was pain and loneliness and shadows of a dream that may or may not have been a memory (_although, after being ripped of his crew, fighting a war and losing a dear loved one, Brook realized that every memory was a nightmare—dream or not_), and he could not stand to see it.

Black eyes looked at him, deep into his eye sockets and into his soul. A slow, expecting smile spread across his captain's face and Brook let out a breath that he hadn't realized that he'd been holding.

"Yes."

"Yohohohoho! Then I shall do my very best!"

The violin was a familiar weight on his shoulder, bow in his hand natural and awing just like it had been two years ago, fifty years ago, seventy years ago; it glided over the strings with careful ease and the notes spilled into the air in a soft, gentle tune that matched the waves and combined with the wind.

And before he even knew it, his captain was sleeping beside him with a little snot bubble coming out of his nose. Brook laughed to himself but continued playing until the last notes spilled out of the worn violin.

He positioned himself beside his captain and prepared himself to lift his captain before a soft voice, nearly silent and most likely unawares from the black-haired teen.

"_Thank you..._"

"Yohohohoho," Brook laughed quietly to himself, lifting the teen in his bony arms. If he had any skin, he would have grinned widely (but alas, he had no skin to grin with—SKULL JOKE!—he was only bones, after all!). "No need to thank me, Luffy-san."

Because he was only doing his duty as a nakama and musician and friend.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Not very confident on this one; I'm really not.

But I haven't updated in a while—been a bit too busy with 'Little Things'. I also got some requests on the last chapter here and I'm trying to organize them all in my head and trying to write them down. Next one (_I think, I hope_) is about a Sanji & Luffy idea I had just recently.

I think I'll be able to do the request of a _Guest_ and _mad 100141 _next, and then maybe of laFia. We'll see. Shesh, and here I thought I would have some relaxing summer holidays—ha! As if. Anyway, **thank you all so, **_**so much **_**for reviewing**. It really means a lot to me and I hope you enjoyed this!

Thank you for reading and please review!


	16. Chopper & Luffy II

**Nightmares**

* * *

"Mn," Luffy blinked his eyes open slowly at the finger (_hoof_) prodding into his side and looked at the bottom of the bed above him with blurry (_teary_) eyes. "Choppa?"

Chopper shifted next to him and sniffled. "Can I sleep together with you?"

The quiet, pained tone hurt his heart and he turned his head to look at his doctor; his nakama's eyes were wet and hurting and Luffy's rubber arms immediately encircled his doctor, worried and confused and frustrated because he didn't know what to do.

"Chopper, are you okay?"

There was a moment of silence before his doctor buried his face into his chest. "I am now."

Luffy furrowed his brown and tried to look at his doctor's face. "What happened?"

Chopper clung tighter to him as if he would disappear into thin air and looked up at his face. "Just a nightmare."

"Really?" he sighed in relief and gave a bright grin to his doctor before he got a smile from his nakama (_his nakama always had the brightest smiles_).

Chopper hummed out a yes and nodded seriously. "It's alright now. Go to sleep, Luffy—doctor's orders."

Luffy gave Chopper another grin before he held his doctor close to his chest and fell asleep again.

He dreamt of Sunny and adventure and love and nakama instead of blood and ash and fire and cold—he was very glad for that.

(_Minutes before a name was whispered over and over again like a broken tone dial and it hurt Chopper's tiny, shattering heart. His Sencho's brother's name vibrated into the air and Chopper could never miss the hurt and pain and griefandsorrowandanguishandloveanddesperationandde nial in his captain's voice._

"AceAceAceAceAceAceAceAce..._"_

_Chopper sniffled before he took a deep breath of air and got out of his bed and climbed into his captain's. Two years ago, he had been ordered to stay away and he'd done so even when his captain's heart was bleeding and breaking and dying—but he was there __**now**__ and, as poked into his captain's side with a determined hoof, he __hoped it was enough__._)

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

I hate writing from Luffy's viewpoint-not because I don't love him (who wouldn't love that adorablecutesweetoblivious rubber captain?), but because he's really hard to write. Ah, but well, I think I got it more or less down. I hope.

I had a massive writer's block over the last few weeks and my brain probably won't write anything until all the ideas stop buzzing in my head (_"PICK ME!** PICK ME**!"_). I still haven't gotten my Sanji & Luffy III written down but I _really, **really**_want to. School just started again but I'll work hard on updating my (what is it, four? Five?) stories (and try to fulfill your requests-I'm trying but the website where I watched the episodes decided to be a dick. Any websites you can give me? Thanks).

As always, many thanks to all reviewers! I truly appreciate it!

Thank you for reading and please review!


	17. Boshi & Luffy

**After Two Years Of Silence**

* * *

There is silence. And coldness. But mostly only silence. Boshi doesn't like silence much—he's been owned by loud and laughing and loving crews where there'd never been silence on them. Sometimes quiet (very, _very _rarely), but never silent. He doesn't know how much time has gone by (_an eternity_) but he knows that he misses his owner and that he wants (_needs_) to go home.

"Luffy!" Sound! There is sound! And that name (_that sweet, sweet name that he love__s and adores_), to hear it ring in the air again (_how long has he been wishing for this? How long has he been praying?_)!

"Coming!" a voice calls cheerfully over the field and Boshi is sure his heart skips a beat (even if he had no—oh dear, he sounded like Brook) before he heard crunching snow coming nearer and nearer.

He feels the heat radiate off the body in front of him, gentle and loving and warm. Just like he remembers. But something is different. No, not different, just—changed. Yes, changed and he isn't sure how he feels about that.

"Ah, it's been two years," the voice is calm but sad and Boshi worries and awes (_because has it really __**only **__been two years? It felt so much longer, feels so long ago_). A hand reaches out and settles heavily on him, perfect and _right_, and stays there for a second before he is lifted up.

He is placed on top of black hair and something in his captain and in him uncoils, relaxes, now that they're together. Boshi feels the changes; how can he not? He's seen the boy (_now a man and when did that happen?_) cry and laugh and smile and scream and yell and fight and almost die more times than he can count and something has definitely changed.

His owner hurts. He's half-healed but also half-broken and Boshi knows why and he wants to cry (_he's seen the boy—now a man—sacrifice all but gain nothing_), never mind that he is a hat. There is something horribly scarred and—although not raw—painful about his owner, edges not yet healed and Boshi realizes that it some probably won't ever.

But Boshi isn't worried because his owner has him and his crew and his dreams and his freedom. That is all his owner needs to get back on his feet and become Pirate King. It's simple as that with his owner and Boshi loves exactly that about him.

Boshi feels the grin of his owner as the man lifts up his head to face the rest of the world. "Let's go!"

But there is a slight hesitance in his owner's steps as he turns around and walks away from the rock where he's been sitting for two years. That saddens Boshi, because his owner is not the same owner as before and he still isn't sure how to feel about that.

"_I think that's the first time I've seen him hesitate. Ne, Ace?_" an amused voice asks and Boshi would recognise that voice anywhere.

"_Idiot doesn't hesitate to go into the middle of a war but hesitates to meet his crew again, sheesh; figures that he makes his brothers worry even in death,_" another voice says with a snort and he has to smile at hearing it.

Boshi feels more than sees two men in their early twenties—one with blond hair, blue coat, blue eyes and the other with black hair, brown eyes, freckles; both with wide grins, he knows—and he knows who they are because he's known them for over seven years even if he hadn't seen them in two.

Ace and Sabo step forwards and both (after grinning at each other and giving a bro fist) push their little brother gently. His owner turns around and Boshi feels the different emotions (_longing, memories, sadness, happiness, bitterness, love, pain_) run through his owner before he turns back around.

Boshi makes himself fit firmly and proudly on his owner's head because he's turned into a fine man to be worthy of wearing him (_at least Shanks knew what he was doing, twelve years ago_). He settles and he wonders what happens next.

His owner starts walking but he doesn't look back and the hesitance is gone; Boshi is sure that the only ones prouder than him are his owner's older brothers as they watch their little brother's back.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

I. WROTE. ABOUT. A. HAT. **I REGRET NOTHING!**

I have no idea where this came from. No, seriously—it just came and I wrote that shit down (forget the fact that I fell in love with that hat). It's just, there are no Boshi x Luffy stories anywhere and I thought that was something I had to change—Boshi is just as much part of the crew as Merry or Sunny or Vivi.

I didn't exactly plan Sabo and Ace to appear but I remembered a request of _Honeydee_ and _Sophia Likes Sweets_ of something to do with Ace and this was the perfect opportunity to do it. And Sabo? I love Sabo. I utterly and truly love him. The only thing I'm sorry for is that it came out so mushy and OOC; really, I'm so sorry.

Thank you all so much for reviewing on the last chapter. Any and all reviewers are remembered and loved—no one is forgotten :).

Thank you for reading and please review!


End file.
